E3 Wiki Guide

Sony at E3 1996

The camera was on Mario 64 and Nights into Dreams, but Sony held all the chips in 1996. Sega Saturn was fading fast and while N64 was showing strong, Sony had a year of experience under its belt and an impressive software library.

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Also on display was Tomb Raider, a new 3D platformer. Although originally marketed in a Saturn exclusive launch window, the game's superior Playstation version helped popularize the new PlayStation console.

Sony also had a new mascot, the venerable Crash Bandicoot. Crash represented Sony's first successful first-party platformer and created a kid-friendly face for the little gray box.